Think about the last time you were in a conversation with someone you disagreed with on a particular subject. How did the conversation go? Were you listening for the opportunity to interject your opinion? While the other person was talking, were you just thinking of all the ways you were going to unload all of your counterpoints and imagining how impressed they would be with you? The question we need to ask ourselves is are we really listening or are we just looking for our opportunity to be right.
James offers us very wise and simple advice when he tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”
It is insightful that he also tied into his admonitions to be slow to anger as well. It seems that the quicker we are to speak the quicker we arrive at anger. Social media seems to accelerate our anger all the more. What does it look like to listen in a social media age? What impact would it have if you take time to listen to learn from those you disagree with?
